Klopp is a perfect fit at Anfield

“WE want to offer emotion, we want to deliver excitement that you can really buy into, we want to be really together with our people, we want to really be connected and we want to be special as well as a club. This is only the start, that’s the plan.”

This was Jurgen Klopp a few weeks ago when talking about what he wants to achieve at Liverpool.

I have spoken about Klopp (above) a number of times but during such a memorable season, I wanted to dedicate a whole column to him.

There is no doubting that Klopp is an exceptional football manager but more than anything, he is a perfect fit for Liverpool.

Football has always been an expression of emotion and passion for communities all across the world and nowhere is this truer than in Liverpool.

The football club is intertwined with what the city is going through at any one time. It is far more than just a high-performance centre for winning trophies.

Let’s make the comparison between what Manchester United fans have been through in recent times versus what Liverpool fans have experienced and let’s begin by forgetting results.

United fans feel disconnected from the owners and the corporate machine that is the club.

This has rotted away at that crucial emotional connection with what’s happening on the field and how the fans are feeling in the stands – and it might take years to re-establish this. For clubs with the history and status of Liverpool and Manchester United, this is a disaster.

Compare this with what Liverpool fans feel and it is the complete opposite.

Anfield roars along with the style of play the team produces and while the fans feel like they know the players, the players equally feel a deep connection with the fans.

Nothing reflected this more than Kostas Tsimikas (below) who, after scoring the winning penalty for Liverpool in the recent FA Cup final, insisted: “I am not the Greek Scouser, I am the Scouser Greek.”

This connection is massive and there is one person more responsible for this than anyone in recent times – Jurgen Klopp.

I believe that he truly understands what makes Liverpool tick and it brings the best out of him as a manager. He is an emotional manager who needs to feel part of a community and a purpose, which is exactly what Liverpool is.

By connecting to this, he brings the players along with him and they all begin to feel part of the fabric of the club.

Read Klopp’s quote at the start of this column again. He doesn’t mention trophies, he begins with emotion.

Klopp understands that when you connect with Liverpool on this level, everyone will produce their best. If you match this with exceptional players and his outstanding managerial ability, then trophies follow.

Jurgen Klopp is perfect for Liverpool.